Electronic commerce (e-commerce) sites are an increasing popular venue for consumers to research and purchase products without physically visiting a conventional brick-and-mortar retail store. Similarly, social networking sites, such as Facebook and Google+, are an increasing popular venue for members to further grow and establish relationships with friends, family, and acquaintances. Given the success of such social networking sites, e-commerce sites have added features that integrate the e-commerce site with popular social networking sites and/or add social networking features to foster and grow a community on the e-commerce site itself. While such approaches have garnered various levels of success in the form of increased patronage and sales, incorporation of additional social networking features and further leveraging of social relationships in an e-commerce environment may drive even greater sales and customer loyalty.
Limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches should become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application.